"We heard from communities across the country about the importance of their towers and these were very tough decisions,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “Unfortunately we are faced with a series of difficult choices that we have to make to reach the required cuts under sequestration."

Flight For Life bases its operations in Waukesha, and while it will do what it needs to do to continue to fly safely, the tower closures statewide don't sit well.

"Obviously, with the towers that operated within the state of Wisconsin do have that overall umbrella of safety, an additional layer of safety, yes, and so we would like as many towers as possible to remain open in our state," said Claire Rayford of Flight for Life.

The National Air Traffic Controller's Association told WISN 12 News the cuts at airports like Waukesha and Timmerman are difficult to understand.

"A lot of them are quite busy, so you need controllers in order to enable multiple aircraft in that airspace to function efficiently and safely," said Doug Church.

NATCA's Church said while they're not the airports most people fly to, as of April 21, all controllers system wide, including those at Mitchell International Airport, have to be furloughed one day every two weeks.

"That's going to have an impact on flight delays and the efficiency of the system, we believe, because you're going to have less controllers doing the work of maintaining the system the way it is," Church said. "And with spring and summer ramping up, we fear there could be the potential for more disruptions as far as delays and efficiency being sacrificed so we can continue to safely move traffic."

Some lawmakers from Wisconsin also reacted to the closures.

“The bottom line is contract towers are safer and save money. The FAA must re-evaluate its decision, and the White House must put an end to its political charade," Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner said in a news release.

“I am disappointed that the towers at these two airports (La Crosse and Chippewa Valley) are now scheduled for closure,” said Democratic U.S. Rep. Ron Kind. “For the sake of air safety, economic activity and national security, I am going to continue working with the FAA toward a solution to reopen these towers at the earliest possible opportunity.”